Building brace



Oct. 21, 1958 E. w. LATIMER ET AL 2, 56,646

' BUILDING BRACE Filed Feb. 5, 1957 INVENTOR. Edward W Lafimer 8Clarence E. Fin f x The MAK' Attorney United States Patent BUILDINGBRACE Edward W. Latimer, San Mateo, and Clarence E. Finlof, Daly City,Calif.

Application February 5, 1957, Serial No. 638,411

6 Claims. (Cl. 20-4) The invention relates to construction devices andmore particularly to such devices as are designed for aiding in theerection and strengthening of studded walls in wood frame construction.

In conventional wood frame construction transverse or sway reinforcementis normally obtained by blocking between the studs with diagonally setlengths of lumber usually beveled at their ends for nailing to the studsor by setting into the faces of the studs a continuous length of lumberrunning diagonally across the wall face. Either method requiresrelatively costly, laborious and time-consuming operations in theframing of the building. It is accordingly an object of the presentinvention to provide a device of the character described which may bequickly and easily applied to the wall frame by rapid andstraightforward nailing and without sawing, beveling, fitting, or theexercise of other special skills, whereby the construction andinstallation may be completed in minimum working time and at relativelylow cost.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a building braceof the character described which will afford a much stronger and moredurable reinforcement and bracing for the wall and which also leaves thespace between the studs completely open and unobstructed for the mostconvenient inclusion therein of pipes, conduits, heating ducts and thelike, without requiring any notching, cutting away or otherwiseweakening of the bracing memher.

The invention has other object and features of advantage, some of which,with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description ofthe preferred form of the invention which is illustrated in the drawingsaccompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to beunderstood, however, that variations in the showing made by saiddrawings and description may be adopted within the scope of theinvention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to said drawings (one sheet):

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a wood frame buildingwith building braces constructed in accordance with the presentinvention applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of one of the walls and one ofthe building braces depicted in Figure 1, 1

taken on an enlarged scale.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary side elevation of a part of the building braceand associated wall structure taken on a further enlarged scale.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of one of the members of the buildingbrace.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken substantially onthe plane of line 5-5 of Figure 3.

The building brace of the present invention is particularly designed foruse with wood frame building walls such as walls 6 and 7 illustrated inFigures 1 and 2 of the drawing, and consists, briefly, of a strap 8adapted for fastening at one end 9 to the wall frame for diagonalextension therefrom, a slide block 11 adapted for mounting on andfastening to a diagonally remote part 12 of the frame, a

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fastener 13 cooperating with block 11 and frame part 12 for setting theblock on the frame part with sliding action, and means 14 connecting thestrap 8 adjacent its other end 16 to the block 11 for tensioning of thestrap upon setting of the block. Preferably the strap 8 is elongated andformed of thin sheet metal such as steel having a thickness which willpermit its mounting across the face of the studs without notching orletting in of the strap into the studs and without obstructing or in anyway interfering with the application of the plasterboard, plaster orother wall finish. Steel strap in the order of A isquite satisfactoryfor this purpose.

As another feature of the present invention the strap 8 is formed with aplurality of longitudinally spaced openings or perforations 17 fornailing of the strap to the horizontally spaced vertically extendingstuds 18 in the wall frame after tensioning of the strap as aboveexplained. Nails 19, shown in Figure 2, are used for this purpose.Preferably the holes in the strap are made slightly smaller than thediameter of nails 19 so as to force the metal of the strap into the woodof studs 18 upon driving home of nails 19. i

Fastening of the block 11 to the frame part 12 is preferably effected bynailing and to facilitate this operation, the block 11 is formed with. anail-receiving opening 21, see Figures 4 and 5, arranged for toe-nailingof the block on the frame part 12 so as to obtain a setting of the block11 accompanied by a small sliding action of the block 11 on part12. Aswill be best observed from Figures 3 and 4, the opening 21 is providedin an inclined end wall 22 of the block and preferably in the interestof adaptability and reversibility of parts, the opposite end wall 23 ofthe block is likewise beveled and provided with a nail-receiving aopening so that similar toe-nailing and sliding movement of the blockmay be effected from this end also. i

Connection of the strap to the block is here effected to permit swivelor pivoting action in view of the sliding action of the block on theframe piece 12, and desirably the connection ismade easily attachableand detachable. For this purpose a pin 24 is carried by the block formounting in a bearing opening 26 in the strap.

For ease in manufacturing and for strength, the block may be pressed outor otherwise formed of hollow inverted cup shape having a top wall 27,end walls 22 and 23, and side walls 28 and 29. If desired and as hereshown, the pivotal connecting part 24 of the blockmay be formed as oneor a pair of ears 31, best seen in Figure 4, struck out from the side 28of the block. These ears are here dimensioned for threading through oneof a series of elongated openings 26 provided in the strap 8 foraffording the detachable pivotal connection between the strap and theblock. As will be noted from Figures 3 and 4, the two ears are hereshown one vertically over the other, sothat the strap 8 may be engagedon the cars 31 by first holding the strap vertically as depicted inphantom line in Figure 3, so as to align the lengthwise dimension of oneof the slots 26 with the lengthwise dimension of the two tongues 31,thus permitting one of the slots 26 to move over the tongues 31. Onsubsequent rotation of the strap, as suggested by arrows 32 in Figure 3,to their normal inclined or diagonal position, usually 45 the side wallsof the engaged slotted opening 26 move to a caught position behind thecars, as best seen in Figures 3 and 5.

To install the building brace of the present invention on a wall frameas depicted in Figures 1 and 2, the block 11 is first set in position ona base member such as piece 12 mounted on the wall sill 36. Nail 13 isstarted but not driven home. Strap 8 is hooked onto the ears 31 as abovedescribed, and rotated into its diagonal position as shown in thedrawings, with the upper end 9 of the strap against the top plates 37 ofthe wall frame. Strap end 9 is then nailed to the faces of plates 37,using nails 38 extending through perforations provided in the upper end9 of the strap for this purpose. Nail 13 is next driven home againstbeveled end wall 22 of the block so as to set the block securely onframe member 12 and at the same time obtain a small sliding action ofthe block on member 12 to tension the strap 8. The block 11 ispreferably permanently secured in this taut position of strap 8 bynailing through openings 39 and 41 in the top wall 27 of the block andalso through the openingv in the other end wall 23 of the block. Withthe block thus permanently secured and the strap 8 tightly drawn intension-across the faces of studs 18, the strap is nailed to the studs18 by nails 19 and is preferably also nailed to the base plate or sill36 by nail 42 driven through an opening provided in strap end 16 forthis purpose. As will be observed, the strap 8 may be of any desiredlength to cover customary building heights, as for example one or twostories. Where the wall is not sufficiently long to take a single 45beveled brace, as for example wall 7 in Figure 1, where a Window 43 orother wall opening may intervene, one or more straps, see straps 8a and8b, may be foreshortened and mounted across a portion of the height ofthe wall as illustrated in Figure 1. As therein depicted, strap 8a isfastened at its upper end 9a to the top plates 37a and at its lower end16a to a sliding block 11a mounted on a horizontal block 1211 setbetween a pair of adjacent studs midway of their height. Strap 8b ishere fixed at its upper end 9b to one of the studs midway of its heightand extends diagonally downwardly generally perpendicular to strap 8a,and is connected at its lower end 1612 to a slid block 11b mounted atthe base of the wall in the manner illustrated in Figure 2.

Complete cross-bracing may thus be easily obtained over any desiredsection of the wall. Also as will be understood, the strap member 8 maybe mounted at either the normally inside or outside faces of the walland may be extended on diagonals at either side of vertical so as toobtain a desired reversibility of parts as above explained.

We claim:

1. A diagonal brace for wood frame building walls comprising, a strapadapted for fastening at one end to the wall frame for diagonalextension therefrom, a slide block adapted for mounting on and fasteningto a diagonally remote part of saidframe, a fastener cooperating withsaid block for setting said block on said frame part with slidingaction, and means connecting said strap adjacent its other end to saidblock for tensioning of said strap upon setting of said block.

2. A diagonal brace for wood frame building walls comprising, anelongated metal strap adapted for fastening at one end to the wall framefor diagonal extension therefrom, a slide block adapted for mounting onand fastening to a diagonally remote part of said frame, a fastenercooperating with said block for setting said block on said frame partwith sliding action, and means pivotally connecting said strap adjacentits other end to 4 said block for tensioning of said strap upon settingof said block.

3. A diagonal brace for wood frame building walls having horizontallyspaced vertically extending studs comprising, an elongated metal strapadapted for fastening at one end to the wall frame for diagonalextension across said studs, a slide block adapted for mounting on andfastening to a diagonally remote part of said frame, a fastenercooperating with said block for setting said block on said frame partwith sliding action, and means connecting said strap adjacent its otherend to said block for tensioning of said strap upon setting of saidblock, said strap being formed with longitudinally spaced perforationsfor nailing of said strap to said studs after tensioning of said strap.

4. A diagonal brace for wood frame building walls comprising, a strapadapted for fastening at one end to the wall frame for diagonalextension therefrom, a slide block adapted for mounting on and fasteningto a diagonally remote part of said frame, said block being formed witha nail-receiving opening arranged for toenailing said block to saidframe part for setting said block on said frame part with slidingaction, and means connecting said strap adjacent its other end to saidblock for tensioning of said strap upon setting of said block.

5. A diagonal brace for wood frame building walls having horizontallyspaced vertically extending studs comprising, an elongated metal strapadapted for fastening at one end to the wall frame for diagonalextension across said studs, a slide block adapted for mounting on andfastening to a diagonally remote part of said frame and having aninclined end wall formed with a nail-receiving opening arranged fortoe-nailing of said block to said frame part for setting said block onsaid frame part with sliding action, and a pin carried by said blockformed for detachable pivotal connection to said strap adjacent itsother end for tensioning of said strap upon setting of said block, saidstrap being formed with longitudinally spaced perforations for nailingsaid strap to said studs after tensioning of said strap.

6. A diagonal brace for wood frame building Walls having horizontallyspaced vertically extending studs comprising, an elongated metal strapadapted for fastening at one end to the wall frame for diagonalextension across said studs, a hollow metal slide block adapted formounting on and fastening to a diagonally remote part of said frame andhaving an inclined end Wall formed with a nail-receiving openingarranged for toenailing of said block to said frame part for settingsaid block on said frame part with sliding action, and an ear struck outfrom a side of said block, said strap being formed with an openingadjacent its other end dimensioned for receiving said ear for effectinga detachable pivotal connection between said strap and block fortensioning of said strap upon setting of said block, said strap beingformed with longitudinally spaced perforations for nailing said strap tosaid studs after tensioning of said strap.

